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No. 6|3,377. Patented Nov. l, |893. F. H. LANGE. CLAMP Fon DRAW TIMBERS.

(Application led Sept. 20, 1898,)

(N0 Model.)

| sus co mfom-L wo.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

Nrrsn ATEN'T IFFICEQ FERDINAND H. LANGE, OF WILKES-BARR, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PETER T. BIENKOWSKI, OF SAME PLACE.

CLAMP FOR DRAW-TIMBERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,377, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed September 20,1898. Serial No. 691,454. (No model.)

To all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND H. LANGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilkes-Barr, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Clamp for Draw-Timbers,of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in clamps for draw-timbers.

ro The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of draft-rigging for railway-cars and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient clamp designed to embrace and prevent the draft-timbers from spreading and adapted to dispense with the numerous bolts usually employed for conn ecting the draft-timbers to the iioor of a car to prevent spreading of the timbers and capable of enabling a draw-head in event of break- 2o age of any of the parts to be readily removed without unloading a car.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and

pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of a car provided with a clamp constructed in accordance with 3o this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the clamp. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a substantially rectangular clamp constructed of wrought, cast, or other suitable metal and embracing the draw-timbers 2 of a car and adapted to prevent the same from spreading without employing nu- 4o merous vertical bolts for connecting said timbers to the iioor of the car. The draw-timber clamp is composed of a lower section 3 and upper sections 4, the lower section forming a continuous stirrup and consisting of a hori- 4'5 zontal bottom'portion 5 and vertical sides 6, the upper terminals 7 thereof being extended outward horizontally. The metal of which the clamp is constructed is preferably one inch thick and nine inches wide, and the top,

5o bottom, and side faces of the timbers are recessed or gained to receive the clamp, so that the outer faces of the same will be liush withl the faces of the timbers.

The upper sections 4 are composed of vertical side portions a and horizontal top portions 8, extending inward from the outer faces of the timbers to the center of the space between the same and having their contiguous ends connected by reversely-arranged dowelpins 9. The dowel-pins are preferably three 6o in number, although more or less may be employed, two of the dowel-pins being mounted on one of the sections 4 and one dowel-pin being mounted on the other section 4, and the sections 4 are provided with correspond- 65 ing sockets. The dowel-pins are provided Awith threaded shanks l0, itting in threaded openings of the sections and reduced to provide shoulders, as shown. By dividing the upper portion of the clamp at the center, as 7o shown, the upper sections may be removed without unloading.

The lower ends of the sides 5 are extended outward horizontally similar to the ends 7 of the lower section, and these horizontally-dis- 7 '5 posed` ends 7 and 11 are provided with registering perforations, through which pass bolts 12, whereby the upper and lower sections are firmly connected.

The upper and lower sections are provided 8o at the inner faces of their horizontal portions with inwardly-projecting spurs 13 and 14, which are embedded in the tim bers to prevent the sections from slipping thereon. The spurs or projections 13 and 14, which are 85 preferably formed integral with the sections, are tapering and adapted to vbe readily embedded in the timbers. The horizontally-extending ends 11 of the upper sections 4 are provided with perforations, in which are ar- 9o ranged pins 15, extending from the said ends 11 and projecting downward beyond the inner faces thereof and fitting in depressions or sockets 16 of the ends 7 of the lower section to assist in connecting the plates. 95

The invention has the following advantages: The clamp, which is simple and inexpensive in construction, possesses great strength and durability. It embraces the draft-timbers and effectually prevents the roo same from spreading, and it obviates the necessity of employing numerous vertical bolts for connecting the draft-timbers with the iloor of a car. The clamp, which firmly engages the draft-timbers, is composed of sections and is adapted to be readily removed to permit the removal of a draw-bar without unloading a car.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacriicing any of the advantages of this invention.

That is claimed isl. A clamp for draft-timbers comprising a lower section or stirrup having a horizontal bottom portion and vertical sides, the upper laterally-separable sections having vertical sides and inwardly-extendin g top` portions interlocked at their adjacent ends, and means for connecting the upper and lower sections, substantially as described.

2. A clamp for draft-timbers comprising a lower section or stirrup, the laterally-separable upper sections having their inner ends interlocked, means for securing the outer ends of the upper sections to the terminals of the lower section, and spurs projeetinginward from the sections and adapted to be embedded in the draft-timbers, substantially as described.

3. A rectangular clamp for draft-timbers comprising a continuous lower section or stirrup, and the laterally-separable upper sections having their inner ends detachably interlocked and their outer ends detachably secured to the lower section, substantially as described.

4. A clamp for draft-timbers comprising the continuous lower section or stirrup having its terminals extending horizontally, the upper sections consisting of vertical sides and horizontal top portions and having their outer ends extended horizontally and arranged against those of the lower section, dowel-pins having threaded Shanks mounted in threaded perforations of the inner end of one of the upper sections and engaging sockets of the other, pins depending from the outer terminals of the upper sections and engaging depressions or sockets of the lower section, and fastening devices connecting the outer ends of the sections, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND II. LANGE.

Witnesses:

GEO. P. VARNER, JACOB FEDDER. 

